


Stranded Songs

by ForFangirls



Category: The Magicians (TV), The Magicians - Lev Grossman
Genre: Comedy, Domestic Fluff, Episode: s03e05 A Life in the Day, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Musical References, Peaches and Plums (The Magicians), Queliot Week, Romantic Fluff, Season/Series 03 Spoilers, Singing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:34:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23063284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForFangirls/pseuds/ForFangirls
Summary: Eliot and Quentin sing. Even as they forget more and more of Earth, Eliot and Quentin still sing. Because why wouldn’t their life at the mosaic be full of music?
Relationships: Quentin Coldwater/Eliot Waugh
Kudos: 9
Collections: The Magicians ▶ Quentin Coldwater / Eliot Waugh





	1. Who Tells Your Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little humor to get ya started, keep reading for more plot and fluff! (Mostly fluff)

Quentin pulled Elliot into their bedroom one afternoon, hand tight on the taller man’s wrist. Normally Elliot would have gotten excited, but he had a suspicion that wasn’t it.

Quentin turned, looking all the parent he was, and stared Elliot down. “Now, I’m only going to ask once. _Where_ did Ben learn Earth curse words?”

”Gosh Q, you sound like an old man.”

Quentin just continued to stare. Eliot switched his weight to his back foot and tossed his head back, “Okay, I may have sung him Hamilton a few too many times... but if I stop practicing I’ll forget it!”

Quentin’s eyes went wide, “Did you sing Act 2?”

Eliot froze.

”Did. You teach my son. Act 2?”

”um... possibly?” Eliot said warily.

”He’s 9 years old!”


	2. Who Tells Your Story

_ There is a house, in New Orleans _

_ They call the Rising Sun _

“Where’s that?”, Teddy asked

“Where’s what?”, Eliot responded monotonously. The two of them were attempting to put together Quentin’s latest mosaic design while the aforementioned magician cooked dinner. 

“Or-leens” Teddy asked, “and why is it new?”

Eliot, again hardly paying attention as such questions were common when he sang as he worked, “It’s in a far away land, in a swampy place called Louisiana. The people there fight giant lizards called Alligators and eat delicious donuts covered in sugar.”

“How do they have so much sugar?”

“Well they make it in a big kitchen, not homemade like we do, so they have more.”

Teddy nodded, accepting these answers and processing the new information about his fathers’ home world. “Why is the house named after the sun?”

Eliot absentmindedly answered again, “Honestly I’ve forgotten now, I think the real house was yellow or something and the band liked it so they made a song about it. May I keep going?”

Teddy nodded once more.

_ There is a house is New Orleans _

_ They call the Rising Sun _

_ And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy _

_ And, God, I know I’m one _

_ My mother was a tailor _

_ Sewed my new blue jeans _

“What are jeans?”

“Um,” Eliot stopped his work on the design for this one. “They’re thick, tough pants that are popular where Q and I grew up.”

Earth hasn’t been “home” for a while now.

“Okay,” Teddy responded, nodding again. Eliot just rolled his eyes and continued-

_ Sewed my new blue jeans _

_ My father was a gamblin’ man _

_ Down in New Orleans _

_ Now the only thing a gambler needs _

_ Is a suitcase and trunk _

_ And the only time he's satisfied _

_ Is when he's all drunk _

“Like Mr. Sayder from the market?”

Eliot nodded, allowing himself to focus on his work as these questions were a regular occurance, “Yes exactly like him. Just wait…”

_ Oh mother tell your children _

_ Not to do what I have done _

_ Spend your lives in sin and misery _

_ In the House of the Rising Sun _

“So wait is the song a warning to not drink too much or to do so?” innocent Teddy asked.

Eliot, finally engrossed in his section of tile, didn't notice Q had walked out until he spoke up,

“Neither and both Teddy. In our world, people are sometimes trapped. The singer is saying some people can’t escape, but also some people get trapped by alcohol and drugs so you shouldn’t abuse them. You’ll get sick like Eliot was back on Earth, and then we’d be very worried.”

“Okay, dad. I’ll be careful when I drink then.”

“Good boy, go get cleaned up for dinner now.”

Eliot watched Teddy leave as Q came over to rest his hand on Eliot’s shoulder. Eliot kept singing,

_ Well, there is a house in New Orleans _

_ They call the Rising Sun _

_ And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy _

_ And God I know I'm one _

“How are you doing today, El?”

“Not great Q, but not being able to get access to any drugs for at least seventy years is a great way to stay sober, plus the wine is truly terrible.” Eliot smiled coldly.

Quentin laughed, “Yes, yes it is.”


	3. Prequel: Right Hand (wo)Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They’re not sure when they started singing as they worked, but they both know when they started doing it to remember their past lives on Earth. Neither ever lost sight of why they had to remember.

“I can’t remember! Why can’t I remember!”

“What’s wrong El?”

“Oh, Quentin” Eliot breathed in relief, “Sorry I just, um… I can’t remember what song comes after Wait for It in Hamilton and there is absolutely no way for me to find out because we’re currently decades before Lin Manuel Miranda will be born not to mention in an entirely different dimension and it’s just…” Eliot grounded his hands at his sides, realizing his panicked flailing may make his state of mind worse not better.

“I understand.” Quentin said quietly.

“What? Finally forgot the lyrics to ‘Fearless’ did you?”

Quentin smiled, “No that one’s pretty firmly in there, but maybe we can help each other remember.”

Eliot smiled shrewdly, “Not like anyone else remembers so what choice do we have?”

Quentin sat down next to Eliot on the hard ground, “Well, we can not talk about our lives before the mosaic and forget or we can talk to each other about it and remember.”

Eliot thought about this for a while, and after several minutes of contemplation he laid his head on Q’s shoulder and said, “Is there a way to pick and choose? I don’t want to remember everything, but there are some things I’d miss if I forgot them.”

Quentin nodded, knowing Eliot meant Margo more than any song from a musical. He tilted his head to kiss Eliot’s forehead, “What if, every night starting tomorrow, we sing some songs to Teddy in the evening so he can learn them too. And you and I can sing while we work on the mosaic so we can fill in the part the other forgot.”

Eliot smiled and blinked away a few tears, “That sounds wonderful. After all, we can’t let Alexander Hamilton be forgotten.”

Quentin smiled, bittersweet “No, the story is too great to be forgotten Eliot. We won’t forget them, ever.”

**Author's Note:**

> My soul is sustained by comments so feel free to leave one to contribute to the fight against my inner demons. Leaving smileys are also 10/10


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